False Indigo Bush

Amorpha fruticosa

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Fabaceae
Genus:: Amorpha
Species:: Amorpha fruticosa

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Shrub
Height:: 12-20 ft
Light Requirements:: Full Sun, Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:: High
Bloom Months:: apr, may, jun
Bloom Colors:: Orange, Blue, Purple, Violet
Landscaping Shrub:: Yes

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Agonopterix argillacea, Agonopterix dimorphella, Black-spotted prominent (Dasylophia anguina), Consort underwing (Catocala consors?), Filatima ornatifimbriella, Genista Broom Moth (Uresiphita reversalis), Io moth (Automeris io), locust leafminer (Parectopa robiniella), Omnivorous Leafroller (Platynota rostrana), Phyllonorycter uhlerella, Sinoe robiniella, Sitochroa dasconalis, ⚠️Three-staff Underwing (Catocala amestris), Walshia amorphella, Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: moist, fertile, well-drained loam
pH:: 6.0 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:: tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:: consistently moist
Notes:: Commonly found in riparian zones and floodplains

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Seeds germinate at 30/20 C. Mechanical scarification for 15 seconds using a Forsberg seed scarifier. Seeds are planted in late October using a Love seeder set at 3rd gear at 10 setting into prepared field beds.

Establishment: Seeds are typically collected from local sources or hand harvested from a population of Central Appalachian Amorpha fructosa. The fruits are legumes that are light tan at maturity and typically contain 1 or 2 seeds per pod and usually mature in August and September. Seeds are glossy, smooth, and olive brown and are 2 to 2.8 mm (0.07 to 0.11 in) long.

Source: npn.rngr.net